Jockey-plate.



F. H. RACKLE.

JOCKEY PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1911.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

T HE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHOTDrLlTHQ. WASHINGTON, D; C.

UNTTE UFFTQ.

FREDERICK H. RACKLE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SMITH- \VORTHINGTON COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

J'OCKEY-IPLATE.

Application filed April 11, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, F REDERIOK H. RAoKLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Jockey-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

It has been customary to provide the saddle of a heavy single harness, such for instance as is used for express and the like delivery teams, with jockey plates. One of these is attached to each side of the saddle skirt and the back band, which is run inside of the saddle at the top andpasses through these jockey plates to the outside. This invention relates to the construction of such plates.

Jockey plates have been made in a single piece and of two pieces, but universally have been attached to the saddle by means of screws that are inserted through the plate and saddle skirt from the front. It has been common, when the plates are formed of two pieces, to use two screws with slotted or with enlarged angular heads for holding the parts together and securing the whole to the saddle. It has also been common to fasten such plates, when made of a single piece, with slotted screws set in from the front through the lower part or web of the plate. Plates formed in this manner are more or less expensive to make, and they collect dust and dirt and are inconvenient to clean. Furthermore, the fastening screws are quite likely to work loose and drop off or to chafe and wear the back strap.

The object of this invention is to provide a very simple and cheap single piece jockey plate which can be securely attached by simple fastenings, that are inserted from the back when the saddle is being made, in such manner that they cannot work loose and drop out or chafe the back band, and whereby the front of the plate is left perfectly smooth so that it will not catch dust and dirt, and can be easily cleaned and polished.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a front view of a jockey plate which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915. Serial No. 620,505.

embodies the invention. Fig. 2 shows a vertical section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 22 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a back view of the plate, and Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the dotted line l4 on Fig. 3.

These plates are usually formed of brass or nickel, and they may have any desired peripheral outline but preferably are oval or circular. The plate which is illustrated has a yoke section 1 which on the front is rounded over on the outside edge 2, and also rounded over on the inside edge 8. Joining the lower ends of the yoke section is a web 4. This web slopes outwardly from its inner to its outer edge. The inner edge 5 is back of the plane of the back face of the yoke section of the plate, while the outer edge 6 is in the plane of the back face of the yoke. This provides a slanting chafing surface for the back band which passes downwardly from beneath the saddle through the opening 7 and over the web of the jockey plate. Formed integral with, and projecting inwardly from each side of the back face of the plate is a hub 8. These hubs are provided with threaded sockets 9. In order to fasten this plate in position, it is placed over the back-hand opening in the saddle skirt with the hubs extending through perforations in the skirt. Ordinary screws are then inserted from the back and screwed into the threaded sockets in the hubs before the saddle panel is stitched to the skirt. This construction results in a jockey plate which is very simple to make and very easy and cheap to attach by ordinary fastening means. There are no obstructions or perforations on the front, as the fastening means are concealed, thus the outer surface does not readily accumulate dirt and dust, and can be very quickly polished.

The invention claimed is:

As an article of manufacture a jockey plate having a U-shaped body with an unbroken and imperforate conveX front surface and circular outline, with an upwardly and backwardly extending integral flat web body and having rearwardly opening threadbgtweeil thg endsbof said body, tglie lower ed sockets.

e ge 0 sai Web eing circular an the upper edge straight, and bosses that project FREDERICK RACKLE' 5 from the back face of the body on diametri- Witnesses:

cally opposite sides of the opening there JOSEPHINE M. STREMPFER,

through, said bosses being integral with the H. R. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

